Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) pitched in a Ni-gun rehab game against Yomiuri on Saturday. He entered the game in the 7th and retired the side in order. He threw fourteen pitches and struck out one. He could join the Ichi-gun team in time for the Rakuten series at kobo Stadium that begins on the 3rd. Source: Sanspo 6/1/2014, Sponichi 6/1/2014 ... Fukuhara looked good during workouts at Naruohama on Sunday and is currently slated to join the Ichi-gun team on Monday. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/1/2014

Yakult Swallows

Wladimir Balentien reportedly tweaked his left Achilles tendon while running the bases in the 1st inning of Sunday's game against Softbank. He was replaced on defense in the 8th. Source: Sponichi 6/1/2014

Softbank Hawks

Akira Nakamura was hurt in Sunday's game against Yakult. Yuhei Nakamura hit a ball to left in the 7th inning. The ball bounced off the wall and struck Nakamura in the face. He came out of the game and was taken to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a bruise on his right cheek. He is having some difficulty seeing because of swelling in the area. He is considered day-to-day. Source: Sponichi 6/1/2014

Orix Buffaloes

Yoshio Itoi fouled a ball off his mouth during his at bat in the 1st inning of Sunday's game against the Yomiuri Giants and suffered a cut on his lower lip. He was removed from the game and taken to the hospital. Source: Sanspo 6/1/2014, Daily Sports 6/1/2014 ... Itoi needed three stitches to close the cut on his lip. He is considered day-to-day. Source: Sports Hochi 6/1/2014 ... With a runner on second and one out in the 1st, Itoi hit a ball that bounced off an area near home plate and struck him in the face. He left the field for treatment and returned to finish out the at bat. He struck out. Source: Sponichi 6/1/2014

Motoki Higa and Alessandro Maestri were taken off the active roster on Sunday. Higa started feeling pain in his left knee on Friday night. He was examined at a hospital in Koba on Saturday and diagnosed with inflammation in the knee. Maestri has a fever and swollen tonsils (tonsillitis). Source: Sanspo 6/1/2014, Daily Sports 6/1/2014

Leslie Anderson (right thigh) is expected to be ready to play in some rehab games at Ni-gun beginning on June 7. He told reporters on Friday he was at about eighty percent. He has already resumed batting practice, but has not done any running or hitting with cleats. Source: Sanspo 5/31/2014

Hanshin Tigers

Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) could join the team as early as June 2. Tomoyuki Kubota (right elbow) is scheduled to pitch in another Ni-gun game next week. Source: Sanspo 5/31/2014

Kazunari Tsuruoka (right side) played some catch at a distance of about fifty meters at Naruohama on Friday for the first time since he was taken off the active roster on the 27th. He told reporters on Thursday he had more problems swinging the bat than throwing the ball. Source: Sanspo 5/31/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Kam Mickolio (left adductor) is scheduled to pitch in another Ni-gun game on June 1 against Orix. If he experiences no problems after the outing, he could return to the active roster on June 3. Source: Daily Sports 5/31/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Junki Ito (right elbow) started a Ni-gun rehab game against Softbank at Nagoya Stadium on Saturday. With two outs in the 7th inning, catcher Iori Katsura tried to throw out a base-stealer at second. The throw was low and hit Ito in the head. He was bleeding and in pain. He was removed from the game and taken to the hospital. Brain tests did not reveal any problems. He required stitches to close a cut on his right ear. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/31/2014

Kenshin Kawakami (lower back) started a Ni-gun game against Softbank on Friday. He gave up three runs on six hits over three innings of work. He faced fourteen hitters, struck out one, hit one, and topped out at 142km/h. It was his first game in about a month. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/31/2014

Masahiro Araki was hit by a pitch in a game against Orix at Nagoya Dome on the 29th and diagnosed with a fracture in his right index finger. It could take a month and a half to two months for a full recovery. However, Araki is hoping to make it back when the regular season resumes on June 27. Source: Sports Hochi 5/31/2014

Kazuki Yoshimi (lower back) could pitch in a Ni-gun rehab game against Hanshin on June 11. He resumed pitching practices on the 29th. He would like to pitch in at least three Ni-gun rehab games. That could put his first Ichi-gun start on July 4 against Yomiuri at Tokyo Dome. Source: Sports Hochi 5/31/2014

Tetsuya Utsumi temporarily left the field in the 6th inning of Thursday's game against Rakuten because he felt discomfort in his left leg. He received treatment off the field and was able to return. Source: Sponichi 5/29/2014

Hanshin Tigers

The Tigers considering adding Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) to the active roster on Wednesday, but decided to give him a little more time to make sure he is fully recovered. He will pitch in at least one more rehab game at Ni-gun and if everything is okay, he could be called up in time for the Rakuten series that begins on June 3 at kobo Stadium. Source: Sanspo 5/29/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Masahiro Araki was pulled from Thursday's game after he was hit by a pitch in the 1st inning -- Orix's Daiki Tomei hit him on the right hand with a 147km/h fastball. Araki returned to the dugout for treatment and was replaced by a pinch-runner. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/29/2014 ... Araki was taken to a hospital in Nagoya and diagnosed with a fracture in his right index finger. Source: Sports Hochi 5/29/2014

Takuya Asao (right elbow) pitched in a Ni-gun rehab game against Hiroshima on Thursday. He entered the game in the 9th and did not allow a run or a hit over an inning of work (F6, G6, Ks). He topped out at 144km/h. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/29/2014, Sanspo 5/29/2014 ... Asao has now pitched in six Ni-gun rehab games. He has not allowed a run over his last five appearances. Source: Sponichi 5/29/2014

Yokohama Bay Stars

Takehiro Ishikawa hurt the back of his neck when he came into contact with a fielder while sliding into a base in the 5th inning of Wednesday's game against the Softbank Hawks. He did not play in Thursday's game against the Hawks. Source: Daily Sports 5/29/2014

Hirokazu Sawamura (right shoulder) pitched in a Ni-gun game against Yakult on Wednesday. He entered the game in the 6th and tossed three shutout innings while giving up four hits. It was his second Ni-gun outing of the season. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/28/2014

Hanshin Tigers

Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) pitched in a Ni-gun rehab game against Softbank on Tuesday. He entered the game in the 6th and did not allow any runs. He gave up a hit and struck out one. Source: Sanspo 5/28/2014

Tomoyuki Kubota (right elbow) pitched in a Ni-gun game against Softbank on Tuesday. He entered the game in the 8th and got three hitters out on nine pitches. He topped out at 145km/h. It was his first game of the season. Source: Sponichi 5/28/2014

Tsuyoshi Nishioka took outdoor batting practice at Naruohama on Tuesday. He took thirty-six swings from the left side. He also took grounders outdoors at second for about fifteen minutes. It was the first time Nishioka took batting and fielding practice outdoors at Naruohama since he suffered multiple injuries on a collision play while playing defense in a game against the Yomiuri Giants on March 30. Source: Sanspo 5/28/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Kam Mickolio (left adductor) joined Ichi-gun workouts on Wednesday. The Carp will decide when to call him up after they see him pitch at Ni-gun on May 30 and June 1. Source: Sanspo 5/28/2014, Daily Sports 5/28/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Motonobu Tanishige tweaked his left thigh while running the bases during Monday's game against Softbank. He was at Nagoya Stadium on Tuesday checking on player workouts. He had a slight limp. He is considered day-to-day. Source: Daily Sports 5/28/2014

Takuya Asao (right elbow) is scheduled to pitch in another Ni-gun rehab game on the 29th against Hiroshima. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/28/2014

Kenshin Kawakami (back) is scheduled to pitch in a Ni-gun rehab game against Softbank on the 30th. He is expected to go three innings. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/28/2014

Yakult Swallows

Yuhei Nakamura was hit by a pitch in the 8th inning of Wednesday's game against Nipppon Ham and replaced by a pinch-hitter in the 9th. He was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with a bruise on his right wrist. He is considered day-to-day. Source: Sponichi 5/28/2014

Orlando Roman was examined at a hospital in Tatebayashi, Gunma on Wednesday and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in his right elbow (変形性肘関節症). This was a preexisting condition that got worse. The Swallows do not know how long Roman will be out. They will see how he responds after getting shots to deal with the inflammation. Source: Sanspo 5/28/2014, Daily Sports 5/28/2014

Yasuhiro Ogawa resumed playing catch on Tuesday for the first time since he suffered a fracture in his right hand on April 18. He played catch at a distance of about thirty meters for roughly twenty minutes. He hopes to play in a rehab game some time in July. Source: Sanspo 5/28/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/28/2014

Orlando Roman was taken off the active roster on Saturday with discomfort in his right elbow. He is scheduled to have the elbow examined at a hospital within the next few days. Source: Sponichi 5/24/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/24/2014 ... Roman apparently no longer has pain in the elbow, but will still be checked out at a hospital because he is having difficulty turning things around. Source: Sports Hochi 5/24/2014

Rakuten Eagles

Ginji was taken off the active roster on Saturday with pain in his lower back. He first started feeling discomfort in his lower back around the 17th. He missed the last couple of games after the discomfort turned into pain three days ago. Source: Sponichi 5/24/2014

Seibu Lions

3rd round draft pick Takuya Toyoda was removed from Saturday's game against Yakult after he took a batted ball off his right hand. With runners on first and second and no out in the 8th, Yakult's Wataru Hiyane hit a ball that struck Toyoda in the right hand. It does not appear to be serious (bruise) at this point, but could still keep him out of a few games. Source: Sponichi 5/24/2014

Softbank Hawks

Seiichi Uchikawa was left out of the starting line-up on Saturday because of pain near his right buttock. He did not participate in pre-game practices on the field. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/24/2014 ... Uchikawa will not be with the team for their series against Chunichi at Nagoya Dome. He will stay back in Fukuoka and get checked out at a hospital on the 26th. Assuming everything is okay, he will rejoin the team for the Yokohama series that begins on the 28th. Source: Sponichi 5/24/2014

Tadashi Settsu (right shoulder) tossed eighty pitches in the bullpen on Thursday. He will most likely toss another session on the 26th. He told reporters he still felt some tightness from the session, but was otherwise fine. He could pitch in a Ni-gun rehab game during an upcoming Hanshin series that begins on the 27th. If there are no setbacks, he could return to the active roster in June. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/24/2014

Daisuke Nakai is no longer having problems with his right elbow and was added to the active roster on Friday. He started playing rehab games as a designated hitter in late-March and took to playing left earlier this month. In thirty-four Ni-gun games, he went 33-for-105 with seven home runs and twenty RBI (.314/.365/.581). Source: Sponichi 5/23/2014

Hirokazu Sawamura's (right shoulder) next Ni-gun rehab game will likely come on the 27th against Yakult. He is scheduled to go three innings. He could return to the active roster some time in June. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/23/2014

Hanshin Tigers

Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) is scheduled to pitch in a batting practice scrimmage at Naruohama on Saturday. Fukuhara could be close to a return to the active roster. Depending on how he is feeling on Sunday, he could make it back to the active roster as early as the 25th against Lotte. If he wants a little more time, he could also pitch in a Ni-gun rehab game against Softbank on the 27th. Source: Sponichi 5/23/2014

Seibu Lions

Fumiya Nishiguchi was taken off the active roster on Friday with discomfort in his left side. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/23/2014

Softbank Hawks

Seiichi Uchikawa was replaced by a pinch-runner in the bottom of the 6th on Friday against Hanshin because he felt "a jolt" of pain near his right buttock. It is the same area that has been giving him problems since late-April. He is considered day-to-day. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/23/2014

Orix Buffaloes

With a runner on first and no out in the 8th on Friday's game against Hiroshima, Eishin Soyogi hit a pop-up in the infield. Third baseman Esteban German and catcher Hikaru Ito collided in an attempt to catch the ball. German had a hard time getting up and was taken out of the game. According to the Buffaloes, he had a cut on his chin that required five stitches. He is a question mark for Saturday's game. Source: Sponichi 5/23/2014

Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) tossed twenty-seven pitches in the bullpen on Tuesday. Fourteen were to a squatting catcher. It was his first session since his injury. Source: Sanspo 5/21/2014, Daily Sports 5/21/2014

Tsuyoshi Nishioka continued his rehab at Naruohama on Tuesday. He told reporters he was at about thirty percent. Source: Sanspo 5/21/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Junpei Shinoda took a batted ball off his right foot in the 2nd inning of Tuesday's game against the Softbank Hawks. He temporarily left the field and returned after receiving some treatment. He managed to pitch through to the end of the 4th inning. Source: Daily Sports 5/21/2014

Yokohama Bay Stars

Toshiki Kurobane (right thumb) is expected to return to the active roster on the 25th. Source: Sanspo 5/21/2014

Seibu Lions

Fumikazu Kimura hurt his left knee when he tried to catch a ball hit by Shuichi Murata in the 9th inning of Wednesday's game against the Yomiuri Giants. Murata skied a ball that was going to drop somewhere in between right fielder Kimura and second baseman Hideto Asamura. The two ran hard toward the ball. They managed to avoid a full-on collision, but in the process, Kimura lunged forward awkwardly and hurt his left knee, and the ball Asamura once had in his glove, spilled out onto the field after it was jarred loose. Kimura could not stand up after the play and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. Source: Sponichi 5/21/2014

Softbank Hawks

Tadashi Settsu (right shoulder) was slated to toss a thirty pitch bullpen session on Tuesday. He ended up throwing forty-eight. He could pitch a couple of innings at Ni-gun before returning to the active roster. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/21/2014

Ryuichi Kajimae hurt his right ankle during pre-game practices on the 18th. He was later diagnosed with an injury to his right anterior talofibular ligament. Source: Sanspo 5/20/2014

Leslie Anderson (right thigh) practiced outdoors on Tuesday for the first time since his injury. He did some walking in the outfield and played some catcher. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014

Hirokazu Sawamura (right shoulder) is set to pitch in a Ni-gun rehab game against Nippon Ham on Wednesday. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014

Hanshin Tigers

The Tigers are still not sure when Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) will be able to return to the active roster. He was able to play catch on Sunday, but has not yet tossed a bullpen session. Hanshin will wait to make a decision on Fukuhara until they have had a chance to see him throw off a mound. Source: Sanspo 5/20/2014

Yokohama Bay Stars

Tony Blanco (left biceps femoris) returned to the starting line-up on Tuesday. Kiyoshi Nakahata told reporters the slugger was at about seventy percent. Source: Sponichi 5/20/2014

Yakult Swallows

Yasuhiro Ogawa (right hand) was examined at a hospital in Tokyo on Monday and given the green light to resume playing catch. There is a chance he could return to the active roster some time before the end of June. Ogawa's workouts up to now have centered around running and weights. Source: Sanspo 5/20/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014 ... Ogawa started throwing into a net on Tuesday (nine throws). Source: Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014, Sanspo 5/20/2014

Rakuten Eagles

Manabu Mima could start an Ichi-gun Inter-league game on the 24th against Chunichi at kobo Stadium. Mima was taken off the active roster after he took a batted ball off his lower abdomen and suffered a bruise during his last Ichi-gun start on April 29. He told reporters on Tuesday the bruise was no longer a problem. Source: Sponichi 5/20/2014

Softbank Hawks

Brian Wolfe was examined at a hospital in Fukuoka on Monday and diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow. He was taken off the active roster on Tuesday and will be shut down for about a week. Source: Sports Hochi 5/20/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014

Kentaro Nishimura will need about a month to recover from a strain in his right biceps femoris. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/17/2014

Hanshin Tigers

Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) was at Naruohama on Friday. He played catch at a distance of about twenty meters. It was the first time he held workouts outdoors since he was taken off the active roster on the 11th. Source: Sponichi 5/17/2014

Hiroki Uemoto (right thumb) played in a batting practice scrimmage at Naruohama on Friday. He went 1-for-2: walk on five pitches, fly out to right on the second pitch, single to left on 1-1 fastball. He also took fielding practice at second base. Source: Sponichi 5/17/2014, Daily Sports 5/17/2014, Sanspo 5/17/2014 ... Uemoto played in a Ni-gun rehab game against Orix on Saturday. He got the start at second and batted lead-off. He went 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base. Source: Sports Hochi 5/17/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/17/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Kenta Maeda took a ball hit by Shinnosuke Abe off his right thigh with a runner on first and two out in the 6th inning of Saturday's game against the Yomiuri Giants. He managed to complete the play at first for the final out of the inning, but had to helped off the field. He was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the 7th. The Carp will wait to see how Maeda is feeling on Sunday before deciding what steps to take next. Source: Daily Sports 5/17/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/17/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Takuya Asao (right elbow) pitched in a Ni-gun rehab game against Hiroshima on Saturday. He entered the game in the 6th and gave up two runs on three hits over an inning of work. He threw eleven pitches. Source: Sports Hochi 5/17/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/17/2014

Rakuten Eagles

Motohiro Shima hurt his left leg when Takumi Kuriyama tried to score from second on a two-out single hit to right by Hideto Asamura in the 7th inning of Saturday's game against the Seibu Lions. Shima had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. He was later diagnosed with a bruise on his left thigh and is considered day-to-day. Source: Sports Hochi 5/17/2014, Nikkan Sport 5/17/2014

Softbank Hawks

The media learned that Hayato Terahara is having problems with his right knee and is considering surgery as an option. He was examined at a hospital in Fukuoka on the 12th. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/17/2014

Seiichi Uchikawa was the designated hitter on Thursday and Friday because he still had some pain in his right buttock. Source: Daily Sports 5/17/2014

Hiroki Uemoto played some catch, fielded some grounders, and took some soft-toss batting practice at Naruohama on Tuesday for the first time since he suffered a fracture in his right thumb during a game against the Yakult Swallows on the 3rd. Source: Sanspo 5/14/2014 ... Uemoto resumed outdoor batting practice on Wednesday. He took 110 swings and hit two over the fence. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/14/2014

Tsuyoshi Nishioka asked the Tigers for a month. He spent that time working out at facilities near his house and at Koshien. He purposely kept his rehab quiet because he felt his teammates had nothing positive to gain by watching him. Source: Daily Sports 5/14/2014 ... Nishioka has reportedly told people he was trying to shoot for a return in mid-June. June 27 against Chunichi at Koshien could be a possibility. Source: Sponichi 5/14/2014

Katsuhiro Nagakawa took a ball hit by Yamato off his left calf in the 9th inning of Wednesday's game against the Hanshin Tigers. He was replaced after facing the next batter. He later told reporters he still felt pain and was not sure about his status moving forward. Source: Sports Hochi 5/14/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Kazuki Yoshimi's comeback hit a bump in the road when he started experiencing lower back pains on the 7th. The Dragons are still not sure when he will be ready to resume throwing off a mound -- he can play some catch, but only at a distance of about twenty meters. His return to the active roster might get pushed back to some time in late-June, at the earliest. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/14/2014

Rakuten Eagles

Manabu Mima started a Ni-gun game against Yomiuri on Tuesday. He gave up three runs on six hits over six innings of work. Twelve of the eighteen outs he recorded came on the ground. He threw eighty pitches, faced twenty-four hitters, hit two, and struck out four. His next start will likely come on the 20th against Ni-gun Lotte. This was his first Ni-gun rehab game since he took a batted ball off the right side of the lower abdomen during a Lotte game on April 29. Source: Sports Hochi 5/14/2014

Seibu Lions

Naomichi Umeda was taken off the active roster on Wednesday with pain in his right side. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/14/2014